Exercise apparatus

ABSTRACT

An exercise apparatus comprising a housing which includes first and second gear members rotatably mounted within the housing. Wherein the first and second gear members each include a handle portion. The first and second gear members are connected to one another by a link member. The exercise apparatus also includes a friction control mechanism which controls a frictional force applied to the first and second gear members.

The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus, particularly, but not exclusively, to a portable exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body.

Conventional exercise apparatus for exercising the upper body, such as arm bicycles and the like, are limited to exercising only certain muscle groups. This is because such apparatus are designed to be operated with the user situated only in one position relative to the apparatus. In order to exercise the remaining upper body muscle groups it is necessary for the user to use one or more additional pieces of apparatus. This is obviously inconvenient to the user, as they will have to use (and perhaps purchase) two or more potentially expensive pieces of equipment.

Additionally, such conventional upper body exercise apparatus are often bulky units which are fixed to a floor, wall, or the like. This is also inconvenient to the user, as they are often unable to transport the apparatus for use in other locations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus which obviates or mitigates one or more of the disadvantages referred to above.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exercise apparatus comprising:

-   -   a housing;     -   first and second gear members rotationally mounted within said         housing, each gear including a handle portion;     -   a link member located within said housing; and     -   a friction control mechanism;     -   wherein said first and second gear members are linked to one         another by said link member, and     -   wherein said friction control mechanism controls a frictional         force applied to said first and second gear members.

Preferably, said first and second gear members are substantially co-planar and have substantially parallel axes of rotation.

Preferably, said link member is a third gear member mounted between said first and second gear members.

Preferably, said first, second and third gear members are substantially co-planar and have parallel axes of rotation.

Preferably, wherein said friction control mechanism is a brake shoe on either of said first or second gear members.

Preferably, said friction control mechanism is a brake shoe on said third gear member.

Preferably, said link member is a belt member fastened around a portion of said first and second gear members.

Preferably, said first and second gear members are toothed cogs and said belt member is a chain fastened around said gear teeth of said first and second gear members.

Preferably, said friction control mechanism further comprises a screw adjustment mechanism to vary said frictional force.

Preferably, said friction control mechanism is a metal belt mounted in contact with said first or second gear members.

Preferably, said friction control mechanism is a metal belt mounted in contact with said third gear member.

Preferably, said friction control mechanism further comprises a screw adjustment mechanism to vary the frictional force.

Preferably, said longitudinal axes of said handle portions of said first and second gear members are substantially parallel.

Preferably, said handle portions are mounted to the first and second gear members such that they are free to rotate about their longitudinal axes.

Preferably, said handle portions are hand grips.

Preferably, said first gear member includes a perpendicularly mounted first handle extension portion and said second gear member includes a perpendicularly mounted second handle extension portion, the handle extension portions mounted on opposing sides of said first and second gear members.

Preferably, said housing and said first, second and third gear members are made from plastic.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exercise apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an alternate shape of handle grip of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1 with the housing partially removed for illustrative purposes;

FIG. 5 is an second embodiment of the friction control mechanism of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an third embodiment of the friction control mechanism of the exercise apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fourth embodiment of the friction control mechanism of the exercise apparatus of FIG.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exercise apparatus 10 comprises a housing 12 and first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18.

The housing 12 is a hollow member having a centre portion 20 joined at either side by lobes 22, 24. As best seen in FIG. 2, the first and second gear members 14, 16 are mounted within the lobes 22, 24 of the housing 12 and the third gear member 18 (an example of a link member) is mounted within the centre portion 20 of the housing 12.

The first and second gear members 14, 16 are mounted freely within the lobes 20, 22 such that they are able to rotate about their central axis within the housing 12. The third gear member 18 is rotatably mounted within the centre portion 20 on a spindle 26 which is fixed to the housing 12.

The first and second gear members 14, 16 are substantially equal in diameter.

The third gear 18 is smaller in diameter than the first and second gear members 14, 16 and acts to ensure that the first and second gears 14, 16 rotate in synchronisation with one another.

The first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 are mounted such that they are substantially co-planar. This arrangement of first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 reduces the thickness of the housing 12, and is a preferred arrangement for the positioning of the user's hands during use.

The first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 are mounted such that they have substantially parallel axes of rotation. Again this arrangement of first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 reduces the thickness of the housing 12, and is also a preferred arrangement for the positioning of the user's hands during use.

As shown in FIG. 2, first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 are toothed cogs that interconnect with one another. The gear teeth of the first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 have involute flanks to ensure proper engaging and disengaging. The gear teeth having “involute flanks” is taken to mean that the flank profile of each gear tooth is of a similar shape as the locus of the end of a piece of string uncoiled from a stationary circle.

The first and second gear members 14, 16 have an equal number of teeth. This ensures that both first and second gear members 14, 16 rotate at the same speed.

In the arrangement of FIG. 2, the first and second gear members 14, 16 will always rotate in the same direction as one another, and in the opposite direction to that of the third gear member 18.

First and second gear members 14, 16 also include handle portions 28 that are formed as part of the gear members 14, 16 and which extend across their diameter. The handle portions 28 are ergonomically shaped to better fit a user's hand. The handle portion 28 includes a larger portion 30, to accommodate the user's knuckles, and a smaller portion 32, to accommodate the user's thumb joint.

With reference to FIG. 3, alternatively, the handle portions 28 are offset along a chord of the gear member 14, 16, to allow more room for the user's knuckles in the larger portion 30.

As seen in FIG. 4, the exercise apparatus 10 further includes a friction control mechanism 34. The friction control mechanism 34 comprises of an adjuster screw 36 and a brake shoe, or friction pads, 38. The adjuster screw 36 is formed as part of spindle 26, and the friction pads 38 are circular discs mounted coaxially on spindle 26.

The friction control mechanism 34 controls a frictional force that is applied between the housing and the third gear member 18. Frictional force is applied by using the adjuster screw 36 to compress the housing 12 such that friction pads 38 come into contact with the third gear member 18.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show alternate embodiments of the friction control mechanism 34 of FIG. 4.

The friction control mechanism 134 of FIG. 5 comprises an adjuster screw 136 and a brake shoe 138. The adjuster screw 136 is mounted to the housing 12 (not shown) and the brake shoe 138 acts upon the outer edge of the gear teeth of the third gear member 18. The adjuster screw 136 moves the brake shoe 138 into contact with the third gear member 18 and creates the frictional force.

The friction control mechanism 234 of FIG. 6 comprises an adjuster screw 236, a brake shoe 238 and a metal band 240. The friction control mechanism 234 of FIG. 6 operates in a similar manner to the friction control mechanism 134 of FIG. 5, except that the brake shoe 238 acts upon the metal band 240 instead of the third gear member 18. The metal band 240 is a continuous piece of resilient metal (e.g. steel) which is wrapped around a portion of the outer circumference of the first and second gear members 14, 16. The metal band 240 is fixed to the housing 12 by pins 242. Frictional force is applied by using the adjuster screw 236 to push, via the brake shoe 238, the metal band 240 towards the third gear member 18, such that friction is created between the metal band 240 and the first and second gear members 14, 16.

The friction control mechanism 334 of FIG. 7 comprises an adjuster screw 336 and a passage 344. In this embodiment the housing 12 is filled with a fluid 346, and the passage 344 links the volumes between the engaging and disengaging portions of the first and third gear members 14, 18 and the second and third gear members 16, 18 respectively.

The fluid 346 is typically oil and it surrounds the first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 within the housing 12.

The passage 344 allows high pressure fluid 346 to flow from the volume between the engaging portion of the gear teeth to the disengaging portion of the gear teeth when the first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 are in motion. The fluid is essentially pumped through the passage 344 as the first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 rotate. The rate of fluid flow through passage 344 determines the frictional force required to rotate the first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 relative to the housing 12.

The rate of fluid flow through passage 344, and therefore the applied frictional force, is varied with adjuster screw 336. As seen in FIG. 7, adjuster screw 336 protrudes into passage 344. The amount by which adjuster screw 336 protrudes into passage 344 determines the flow rate through passage 344, and therefore determines the applied frictional force.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, in operation, the user holds the exercise apparatus 10 by gripping the handle portions 28. The user grips the handle portions 28 such that both hands are on opposite faces of the housing 12. The knuckle portion of the user's hand fits into the larger portion 30 of the handle portion 28 and the user's thumb joint fits into the smaller portion 32 of the handle portion 28.

In one position, the user would then hold the apparatus at chest-height such that the longitudinal axis of the apparatus 10 is essentially perpendicular to the user's chest, and the user's forearms are essentially parallel to the user's chest.

The user then passes one hand over another in a cyclic motion, rotating the first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 relative to the housing 12.

In this operation the housing 12 and the first and second gear members 14, 16 essentially rotate about the axis of rotation of the third gear member 18.

The user can vary the frictional force between the housing 12 and the first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18 by adjusting adjuster screws 36, 136, 236, 336 and thus vary the level of exercise they wish to perform.

The exercise apparatus 10 may be operated by the user in any number of positions relative to the user's body, e.g. the user may hold the exercise apparatus 10 at chest-height, above their head, at their waist, or at either side of their body.

The exercise apparatus 10 therefore allows the user to exercise a large number of upper body muscle groups simply by using the apparatus 10 at various positions around the upper body.

The exercise apparatus 10 is also compact and robust enough that it is easily portable. The housing 12 and the gear members 14, 16, 18 of the exercise apparatus 10 are made from plastic, however they could also be made from lightweight metal, or the like.

The exercise apparatus 10 therefore obviates or mitigates the disadvantages of previous proposals by firstly, enabling all upper body muscle groups to be exercised with only one, inexpensive, piece of apparatus, and secondly, allowing the user to exercise in any location.

Modifications and improvements may be made to the above without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, although the exercise apparatus 10 has been described above as comprising three gear members, it should be appreciated that the exercise apparatus could only comprise of the first and second gear members 14, 16, and that the first and second gear members 14, 16 are connected by means of a belt, or the like, in a pulley arrangement. The belt connecting the first and second gear members 14, 16 may be made of a rubber material and mounted around the outer circumferential edges of the gear members 14, 16, such that the friction between the belt and one of the gear members 14, 16 transmits rotational movement to the other gear member 14, 16. Alternatively, the belt may be replaced with a chain which connects to the gear members 14, 16 through gear teeth of the gear members 14, 16.

Also, although the gear members 14, 16, 18 have been described above as being co-planar, it should be appreciated that one or more of the gear members 14, 16, 18 may have parallel planes but be spaced apart in the direction of their rotational axes. Varying the spacing between the first and second gear members 14, 16 in particular offers alternate positioning of the user's hands, and allows an alternate muscle groups to be exercised.

Furthermore, although the gear members 14, 16, 18 have been described above as having parallel axes of rotation, it should be appreciated that one or more of the gear members 14, 16, 18 may have an axis or rotation which is non-parallel with respect to one or more of the remaining gear members 14, 16, 18. Again, varying the rotational axes of the first and second gear members 14, 16 in particular offers alternate positioning of the user's hands, and allows an alternate muscle groups to be exercised.

Also, although the third gear member 18 has been shown to be mounted within the centre portion 20 on a spindle 26 which is fixed to the housing 12, it should be appreciated that the third gear member 18 may be mounted freely with the centre portion 20 such that it is able to rotate about its central axis within the housing.

Furthermore, although friction control mechanisms 34, 134 of FIGS. 4 and 5 have been described above as applying a frictional force between the housing and the third gear member 18, it should be appreciated that friction control mechanisms 34, 134 may apply a frictional force between the housing 12 and the first or second gear members 14, 16 in a similar manner. In this case the friction control mechanism would use an adjuster screw mounted to the housing 12 to bring a brake shoe, or friction pad, into contact with the first or second gear member 14, 16.

Similarly, although friction control mechanism 234 of FIG. 6 has been described above as applying a frictional force between the housing 12 and the first or second gear members 14, 16, it should be appreciated that friction control mechanism 234 may apply a frictional force between the housing 12 and the third gear member 18. In this manner the metal belt 240 would be mounted adjacent to the third gear member 18 and the adjuster screw 236 would push the brake shoe 238 against the belt 240 and into contact with the third gear member 18.

Also, although the friction control mechanism 334 of FIG. 7 has been described above as being used on an exercise apparatus 10 having a first, second and third gear members 14, 16, 18, it should be appreciated that the friction control mechanism 334 could also be used on an exercise apparatus 10 having only first and second gear members 14, 16 that are connected together in a pulley arrangement, or the like, described above.

Also, although the friction control mechanism 334 of FIG. 7 has been described above as using oil to fill the housing 12, it should be appreciated that other suitable fluids could be used instead.

Furthermore, although the handle portions 28 have been described above as being formed integrally with first and second gear members 14, 16, it should be appreciated that the handle portions 28 may also be fixed to the first and second gear members 14, 16 such that they are able to rotate about their longitudinal axes relative to the gear members 14, 16. This allows the user to position their hands more comfortably on the apparatus 10. Also, the handle portions 28 may further include extension handle portions (not shown) which are perpendicularly mounted on opposing sides of each of the first and second gear members 14, 16. This provides an alternate positioning of the user's hands on the apparatus 10.

Furthermore, although the friction control mechanism 34, 134, 234, 334 has been described above as comprising a screw adjuster 36, 136, 236, 336, it should be appreciated that the screw adjuster 36, 136, 236, 336 could be replaced with a ratchet mechanism, or the like, to apply the frictional force. 

1. An exercise apparatus comprising: a housing; first and second gear members rotationally mounted within said housing, each gear including a handle portion; a link member located within said housing; and a friction control mechanism; wherein said first and second gear members are linked to one another by said link member, and wherein said friction control mechanism controls a frictional force applied to said first and second gear members.
 2. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second gear members are substantially co-planar and have substantially parallel axes of rotation.
 3. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said link member is a third gear member mounted between said first and second gear members.
 4. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first, second and third gear members are substantially co-planar and have parallel axes of rotation.
 5. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said friction control mechanism is a brake shoe on either of said first or second gear members.
 6. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said friction control mechanism is a brake shoe on said third gear member.
 7. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said link member is a belt member fastened around a portion of said first and, second gear members.
 8. An exercise apparatus as claimed in 7, wherein said first and second gear members are toothed cogs and said belt member is a chain fastened around said gear teeth of said first and second gear members.
 9. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said friction control mechanism further comprises a screw adjustment mechanism to vary said frictional force.
 10. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said friction control mechanism is a steel belt mounted in contact with said first or second gear members.
 11. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said friction control mechanism is a steel belt mounted in contact with said third gear member.
 12. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said friction control mechanism further comprises a screw adjustment mechanism to vary the frictional force.
 13. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal axes of said handle portions of said first and second gear members are substantially parallel.
 14. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle portions are mounted to the first and second gear members such that they are free to rotate about their longitudinal axes.
 15. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle portions are hand grips.
 16. An exercise apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first gear member includes a perpendicularly mounted first handle extension portion and said second gear member includes a perpendicularly mounted second handle extension portion, the handle extension portions mounted on opposing sides of said first and second gear members. 